The Call of a Child
by Aquila Hawk
Summary: Six years have past since the fall of Meteor, and the world is begining to settle. There is one remaining operational Mako Reactor left, but even that must be shut down. The Call of a Child is the third in a series of short stories between the events


The Call of a Child

  
  
  
  


"I'm sorry Mr. Strife, but you will never be able to father a child," a voice resonated through Cloud's mind as he rode his chocobo up a mountain path. "The level of Mako exposure you've had makes it impossible." Cloud could not shake the disembodied voice of the doctor he visited only a few weeks before. He continued to guide his chocobo up Mount Nibel, but he still could not focus on his task. All he could think of was the past two years that he and Tifa had tried start a family. Cloud was reluctant to see a doctor, but Tifa was finally able to convince him to go. "I'm sorry."

Cloud shook off the words of his doctor and looked ahead at his destination. Watching his distant target grow in between streaks rain, Cloud could only imagine what was left to his destination. He came up to two men who were standing at the summit of the mountain. Cloud halted his chocobo and looked down at the them. "I'm Cloud Strife from the International Union's Science Council. The two of you have been briefed. Report anything you find in there."

"I just have one question. Why wasn't this place shut down with the others?" one of the two men asked.

Cloud pointed at the entrance to the building near him. "Because none of the other reactors were factories for monsters. From what we know, all of the test subjects escaped sometime before President Shinra's death."

The man became agitated. "'From what you know?' Are you telling me that you don't even know if something's left?!"

"That is why you will report anything you find in there," Cloud said impatiently. "Just be quick about it."

The two men turned and entered the reactor building, leaving Cloud alone. He was once again left to his thoughts of that day. "So what's the news?" Tifa's echoing voice asked. Cloud was silent, both on his chocobo and in his mind. "...I see..." the sound of disappointment permeating through Tifa's voice. "There's nothing you could've done to prevent it."

  
  


One of the workers stood just within the entrance into a room that held the Mako condensing pods. "I have a really bad feeling about this."

The other man picked up a wrench and adjusted a valve. "Quit yer yappin. We gotta get this done… This place gives me the creeps." He finished his adjustments and dropped the tool. "There, we're done." The whirs of machinery stopped and the building went dark. "Go tell that IU guy we're done..." The man did not finish his order before a new sound machinery interrupted him. "What the hell was that?"

The man by the door turned on a flashlight and pointed it to the ceiling above his companion. "S-s-sir…" he tried to utter, but was paralyzed with fear.

"What!?!? You useless bag of shi…" A blade at the end of a robotic tail pierced the man in mid-sentence, and pulled away with the same stealth and speed. The robot attached to the bladed tail dropped down behind the now lifeless body. It was small for a guardian robot, only two meters tall, but its speed was unmatched. Its four legs were poised to attack, and its two rifle arms aimed at the next target.

The man left alive dropped his flashlight in utter terror as he ran from the robot. "The hell is a guard scorpion still doing here!?" The robot answered man's cry with a volley of gauss rifle fire, killing the him instantly.

  
  


"It's the house, isn't it?" Tifa's voice once again filled Cloud's mind. "Yeah... It's kinda... big," Clouds voice responded to the other phantom voice. Cloud could not stop the onslaught of his memories. "I think you made a good impression on the Chancellor," Tifa's voice added. "I doubt it. I think he was just happier to have respectable scientist who could sit on the Science Council... ...When did I become a respectable scientist?" Cloud's voice added, trying to sound modest and yet gloat at the same time. However, he sounded more like a fool. "I think it was when you started teaching your teachers," Tifa's voice responded with an unmatched wit. "Heh, that would do it... Kinda a big house for just the two of us," Cloud's voice said. "Guess he figured we were going to starting a family," Tifa responded. Cloud's focus was brought back to the present by the sound of gunfire inside the reactor. He watched the door and hoped for the technicians to emerge, alone.

  
  


The Mako condensing room stood silent. The bodies of the two technicians lay bleeding as their killer stood watch. The silence was shattered as one of the pods began jet Mako from its door. The jets stopped their whir, and the door broke from its hinge. Inside, two glowing green eyes penetrated the dense veil of darkness. The being who belonged to the eyes exited the pod and ran towards the door. The guard scorpion saw the being and began to move towards it. The being, in fear, took the coat from the body by the door and covered itself in attempt to hide. The giant robot did not stop, so the being ran from it. The being ran from the building, only to find more fear. The being looked up at Cloud on his chocobo burning blue eyes against the darkness of the rain. A flash of lightning struck in the distance, as the chocobo released a blood curdling scream.

Cloud, afraid of what this being was, drew his sword. The being responded by raising its right arm, trying to hide again. Cloud lowered his sword as he watched the cowering being. Tattooed on the being's wrist was the number XIV. Cloud looked at the being, trying to make sense of what it was. What he saw shocked him. It was a child of no more then four, but he looked almost exactly like Sephiroth. Cloud put his sword away and dismounted the chocobo. Cloud tried to approach the child, but the child backed away. "It's alright, I'm not going to hurt you," Cloud said, trying to reassure the youth. The child immediately grappled onto Cloud like the lost child he was. The child cried as Cloud picked him up. "Hey, it's alright. You're safe," Cloud said, as he brought the child to the chocobo. Cloud got on the chocobo still carrying the child, and rode off.

  
  


The morning after Cloud found the child escaping the Mako Reactor, and he was nearly home. He and the child had spent the rest of the night in Nibelhiem, where Cloud was able to get a few things for the boy in his care as well as some old Shinra documents. It was also there that he found Hojo's personal notes. The fields were still thick with the dew of the previous night's storm. The storm had passed by morning, leaving the sky clear, and welcoming. As he continued to guide the sprinting chocobo, Cloud held onto the child who was still asleep under a blanket. The day had been calm, and only a few nibel wolves were roaming the fields. Cloud looked ahead at the house sitting off in the distance. It had been a long two days for him, and he was glad to be so close to home. However, he was concerned by what Tifa would say when seeing the boy's face. Cloud tried to think of a way to gently tell Tifa about this child born from a vampire of the planet, but he could not. This young life, innocent yet marked by the sins of the dead, had already made life for Cloud more complicated then anything he had experienced while battling Sephiroth. This child, an exact image of his sworn enemy, testing the extent of his compassion. Now Cloud rode on, holding onto this child who may or may not betray and destroy him in time. He was worried, yet at the same time filled with a paternal instinct to protect this child. These thoughts occupied Cloud as the small house grew steadily larger. Soon he had arrived, but not without running a gauntlet through his mind. Trying to break from his thoughts, he dismounted the chocobo with the child still asleep in his arms. The child began to wake after Cloud had set foot on the ground, so Cloud let him down. Cloud knelt down so the child could see his face. "You stay here, ok. I will be right back," Cloud said trying to sound as compassionate as possible. The child nodded, still holding his blanket around him.

Cloud approached a door to the house as Tifa walked out of it. She could see the strain on her husband's face, as if something was troubling him. "Cloud, what's wrong?" Tifa looked past Cloud and at the small figure behind him. "Where did the kid come from?"

Cloud closed his eyes and drew in a deep breath. "...Mako Reactor One," Cloud whispered into Tifa's ear.

Tifa's eyes widened, as she seized by a surge of fear. "Cloud, are you mad? You just brought home a creature designed as a weapon! This boy is... is..."

"...An orphan," Cloud interrupted. "He was alone in the mountains, cold and scared, just like any other lost child." Cloud mood began to relax. "I was able to find some notes that Hojo left behind. They kept saying stuff about 'Cell Sample Gast A' and how it was added to 'Sample JC014's' pod. This child has the number XIV tattooed to his wrists. I think Hojo meant him, and that 'Cell Sample Gast A' was from..." Cloud stopped in mid sentence.

Tifa looked at the child. "Do you really think he's an ancient?"

"Yeah... I think he is..." Cloud said. "He even looks a little like her, but what I want to know is why? Why Aeris' cells? Why isn't he like the other 'clones'? I feel like each question adds four more."

Tifa looked at the boy, who was now awake and examining his new surroundings after discarding his blanket. He was wore clothes that Cloud had bought in Nibelhiem the previous night. Tifa looked at the child as he played. "He seems like a normal child, but... can he be that safe to have around?" Tifa asked with a great deal of concern.

Cloud looked at Tifa. "I think if he grew up with guardians who loved him like a son, then he would be able to live a normal life." Cloud grew melancholic. The memory of that day three weeks ago came back to haunt him. Cloud looked at the child as he ran around the field, and began to cheer up a little. "It's funny how this all happened."

Tifa again looked at Cloud. "What?"

"Being told I could never father a child, being sent off to watch over the reactor's shut down, and finding him. It's almost like a calling or a cadence," Cloud said as he smiled. He continued to watch the child. "I feel like I was supposed to find him, as if something wanted me to take him in... We could take him in and raise him."

Tifa looked into Cloud's eyes trying delve deep into his soul. The very life of the child playing in the fields could depend on what Cloud said next. "Are you sure you want to do this? Can you really put Sephiroth behind you?" she asked with a sense of fear.

Cloud switched his focus to the sky. "...He's not Sephiroth, he's just a pawn that was played by Hojo," Cloud said as he began to ponder his own doubts and fears. "...The same way I was." Cloud looked back at Tifa. She did not say anything, but Cloud could see the doubt in her eyes. "Hey, you are alright with this."

"I'm worried he will turn out like 'him,'" Tifa said as she watched the child play. "But... I just can't think about throwing him away... Let's just make sure he grows up like a normal child. I'll go call Elmyra and see if she can take care of the adoption process." Tifa began to walk into the house, but stopped after opening the door. "What're we going to call him."

Cloud thought for a moment. Everything over the past three weeks all seemed to fit in place. Conversations, meetings, and people; just like a set of pieces in a puzzle, and in a way which felt rhythmic. Something stirred in Cloud, like an epiphany or revelation. Soon, a fitting name seamed to fill his mind. "What about Caden?"

Tifa pondered over the name. "Seems like an appropriate name. Now let hope that Elmyra can help us take in Caden." She began to walk back into the house, but was bothered by one detail. "If he was raised without human contact, then he probably doesn't..."

Cloud smiled as he knew what Tifa was talking about. "He does, but about as much as Marlene. Hojo must have put something in there to make sure he grew up with the same mental abilities as anyone his age, so he can."

"But he's not a chatter box," Tifa said, reassured that this child would not need any special education. "I better make that call then."

  
  


Where am I? Cloud asked himself as he walked aimlessly through a mist. There were no walls in site, but he felt closed in. Without even noticing, Cloud pulled a sword off his back and continued his meandering. Little did he noticed the that the clothing he wore was the same uniform he had forsaken six years ago. No! This can't be happening again! Cloud screamed, but it only echoed in his mind. He began to realize where he felt these motions before. The sword drawn the way it was, without his acknowledgment. The same autonomous feel. Cloud looked again, but this time saw where he was. Ancient pillars, the lake, crystal planks far above his head, and Aeris in front of him praying. Cloud tried to move, but could not even utter a syllable. The source of the pain and suffering that he had felt six years ago was before him, yet he was helpless to do anything. Cloud screamed again, but did feel the wind pass his lips. It was his mind crying out in terror and pain.

Against his will, Cloud stared up as a wraith from his past slipped effortlessly through the ether between itself and its intended victim far below. In little time, the dark phantom drove his sword through its Aeris' body with impunity. Aeris slumped over the cold and bloodstained sword as soon as it had stopped moving. The scene froze at that moment, but Aeris again began to rise up. Her now glazed and lifeless eyes stared deep into Cloud's soul, paralyzing him were he stood. "You failed me, Cloud. You were my bodyguard. You were supposed to protect me," Aeris said, with a voice that sounded as lifeless as her eyes.

  
  


Cloud awoke rising quickly from his bed while gasping for air. He was in a cold sweat and his eyes burned brightly. Quickly, so as not to wake Tifa, he took his sword and walked hauntingly down a hallway. He stopped outside the door to the room where the boy was sleeping. Silently, as if possessed, Cloud entered the room and raised the sword over his head. Unaware of the danger he was in, the child slept soundly. "Cloud! Stop!" Tifa yelled as Cloud began to arc the blade downward.

Broken from his dream like state, Cloud dropped the sword to the floor while he himself followed to his knees. His eyes began to tear as he realized what had almost happened. "Wha-what I'm I doing... I almost..."

The commotion that Cloud and Tifa made, woke the child up. Although young and still half asleep, he could feel that Cloud was in distress. The child got out of bed, walked up to Cloud, and hugged him. "It's okay," is all the child said.

Cloud held on to the child the same way and cried. "I'm sorry, Caden. I'm so sorry."

  
  


A few weeks had passed since Caden entered the lives of Cloud and Tifa. Cloud had the same dream he had that first night another four times, but he never raised his sword against Caden again. That day was a warm and vibrant late spring day. The air carried the smell of the newly growing life which surrounded the house. Everything was calm. Even the nearby pack of nibel wolves was lounging in the grass rather then hunting wild chocobos. Caden, although he had already wandered all over the property many times, explored the land. Cloud and Tifa themselves were sitting in a pair of chairs that over looked where Caden played. "This's what I needed. Just a day away from the paper work," Cloud said still watching the young boy in his care run around the fields. "Hey, when's Barret supposed to drop by?"

Tifa glanced down at her watch, but did so to figure out how late Barret was. "He said he would drop by sometime this afternoon, but I bet he got caught up again with his work." Tifa giggled at the thought of Barret stuck behind a desk all day. "With how much that city's growing, it's no wonder he keeps complaining about managing it."

Cloud laughed too at the thought of the man who had once fought so hard against such working stiffs only to become one. "Well, they elected him, so he's stuck." No sooner had Cloud stopped laughing about his friend's predicament then a large lumbering vehicle began to make its way down the dusty dirt path that led to the house. "Speak of the devil, and he will come."

Upon seeing the cloud of dust rise up along the dirt road, Caden stopped exploring and ran towards edge of the path. When the vehicle stopped, Barret climbed out through the open hatch on the right side while Marlene hopped out of the other side of the vehicle. Caden watched at the two in curiosity as they left the side of the vehicle. Marlene was quite cheerful until she saw Caden looking towards her direction. As if to hide from the strange boy's vision, Marlene stepped back hesitantly. When Barret realized what happened, he turned around and knelt down to her level. "Marlene, don't worry. He ain't gonna hurt you." Marlene still was not comfortable with the presence of Caden. "Well, I'll be right over there wit' Cloud and Tifa, okay?" Marlene shook her head at Barret's words, but Barret left her where she stood.

Marlene just stood there, not knowing what to do. As she was so shy that even talking to another child was difficult; even a younger child. Caden was also unsure on how to act, as this was the first time he had seen another child. While Marlene looked nervously around, Caden gently rocked on his heels. It was an awkward silence, especially since they were so young. "...Hi," Caden suddenly blurted out.

"H-h-hi..." Marlene tried to respond, but was still vividly frightened by Caden. Marlene did not try to say another word, but soon became entranced by Caden's long silver hair. Slowly she approached, like lioness stalking her prey. When she was with in arms length of Caden's hair, Marlene reached out and grabbed it in one swift motion. 

"Ow! Ow! Ow!" Caden yelped as Marlene began to play with his hair, but he did not pull away. He did not feel even a tug, and only responded like such out of instinct. Marlene continued to braid Caden's hair as if he were a doll, but he did not retaliate. He was happier that Marlene was not afraid of him anymore then anything.

  
  


"What!?" Barret exclaimed without any regard for who could hear him.

"Caden is a clone of Sephiroth," Cloud calmly reiterated, then drew in a breath. "He was marked with the number XIV, and according to Hojo's notes, he has something else in him. Something... that's a little hard to explain."

Barret looked at Cloud questioningly, unable to comprehend how serious it was. "The hell're talkin' 'bout?"

Both Cloud and Tifa were hesitant to say what else coursed threw their ward's veins. After a moment of silence, Marlene cheerfully marched Caden up to the once conversing adults. Caden appeared to be slightly peeved, as his hair was braided and had a green ribbon holding it in place. "Look! He looks like the Flower Lady," Marlene gleefully said while presenting the unwitting youth.

Barret tried to hold in his laughing, but Cloud and Tifa stayed stoic and actually became concerned. Barret stopped laughing when he saw his two worrisome friends staring at the scene. Tifa got up from her seat and walked over to Marlene and Caden. "Marlene, Caden, why don't you come with me?" The two children did as Tifa suggested , and left Cloud and Barret alone.

Cloud sighed as he began to explain Caden's situation. "I think Marlene already stumbled across Caden's secret. ...Hojo's notes kept talking about how 'Cell Sample Gast A.' was added several years after 'Sample JC014' began developing."

"What're you gettin' at, Cloud?" Barret asked with great interest and fear. "You tryin' to say that he is also a clone of Aeris?"

Cloud nodded. "Caden is, in a way, Aeris' son."

"Heh, it's always the two you least expect," Barret jokingly replied, but Cloud was not amused. "I know, I know. But we all deal wit' this kinda shit in our own way. Mine jes' happens to be poorly timed." Cloud was still upset by Barret's remark but was sympathetic, as he had his own troubles absorbing this information. Barret again began to worry. Even though the child had so carelessly allowed Marlene to play with his hair and seemed very gentle about it, he was still the final result of the Jenova Project, and that meant the International Union would have to handle every detail of his existence. "So, what does the IU have to say about this?"

Cloud sat back in his chair, relieved that the difficult questions had passed. "They allowed Tifa and I to keep custody of him until otherwise stated. Basically, he's our son, and we're gonna treat him that way."

"Good. I jes' hope he turns out ok," Barret responded calmly. He then peered over to where Marlene and Caden were playing under the watchful eye of Tifa. "Heh, I've never seen her warm up to someone so quickly."

"Yeah you have," Cloud was quick to correct. "Kinda like some sort of extra-'cetra' perception."

"You know, that ain't funny either," Barret retorted, even though he was trying to fight the swell of laughter in him. He soon regained his composure and began to wonder about something else. "...So how're you gonna break it to him?"

Although Barret did not out right say what he was asking, Cloud understood that he was asking about everything they have already talked about. "Won't, at least not until he is older. The last thing he needs it to compare himself to wraith. The same goes for his Cetra heritage. I just want him to grow up like a normal kid."

Barret nodded in agreement, as he had a similar dilemma with Marlene. "Jes' remember, 'Active imagination.'" Both men laughed at the explanation they had conceived to explain Marlene's ability to hear the planet.

When Cloud calmed again, he too watched as the two children ran around the grounds of the country house. Realizing the irony that he was now the guardian of his most bitter enemies 'son,' while he felt as if the child were a sweet gift of life given by his first true love. "I think he'll turn out fine though," Cloud said in response to Barret's earlier question. "He just has too much of Aeris in him."

  
  
  
  
  
  


Author's notes: Woohoo! Two in one week! This is definitely a first for me. Last week I finished the second in the series of fanfics spanning the gap between FFVII and Cetra Legacy. If I keep this rate up, I'll have Cetra Legacy and Of Devils and Angels done by the end of the summer. ...Well that's just wishful thinking, but I will get a lot done. Maybe I'll whip out Screw the Masamune: I got me a BFG and work on that. (Oh how I miss playing Quake III with the Sephiroth sprite :( Stupid computer use policy :p) ...Umm... ignore that last part... ... ...

Anywho, for those who have read Cetra Legacy, the whole reactor scene should seem very familiar. That's the scene that inspired me to do this fic, and as you can see, makes up a large portion of it. :D Also of note, the scene where Marlene grabs and plays with Caden's hair, yup, that's where the 'grab and drag' thing Marlene does in Cetra Legacy came from. Basically, this fic served as kind of a justification for Cetra Legacy, but that may have been a little obvious. Hope you enjoyed it though. :)

P.S. About the scene where Marlene fixes Caden's hair like Aeris', we all have evil older sisters who think it's fun to treat their little brother like a life size doll... Well I at least did. o


End file.
